


Buried Alive

by Shastelly



Series: Shastelly’s Bad Things Happen Bingo [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Bad Things Happen Bingo, Buried Alive, Loss of fingernails, M/M, Panic, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-02-08 14:10:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18624844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shastelly/pseuds/Shastelly
Summary: Here are the stories to complete my card.  Warnings and tags will be added as appropriate as stories are added.#1 - Buried Alive - Shiro - requested by my daughterOkay switching to series instead of chapters to see how this works :)Trigger warning for claustrophobia





	Buried Alive

"Well, he isn't here." Pidge snapped. 

Three varga and no Shiro. They had awakened in the encampment on planet Plox to discover Shiro missing. He had been sleeping by the fire. He had said he liked the smell of the air on this planet and no one had the heart to deny him. He'd been through so much and was still regaining strength from his time in the astral plane and his transplant into the clone body. 

***

They had landed early the previous day. Allura and Keith had gone to make contact with the locals, who seemed primitive but peaceful. The natives had invited them to share an evening meal with them and Allura had gratefully accepted. It had been a long time out of contact and diplomacy was truly something she loved.

The area they had landed in was a rocky sort of desert with scattered little clumps of vegetation dotting the landscape. The ground was sandy with large pieces of gravel and yellowish. The vegetation was dark green and mostly short and stunted looking.

The Ploxians were large in stature and had dark yellow, almost tawny skin that was thick like that of a lizard. They had large eyes with no visible pupils that ranged in colors from a pale yellow that was almost white to a deep emerald green. They walked upright in a vaguely humanoid shape, though the waists were very narrow and the hips wider than human. The legs were more bowed and the arms thinner and longer. Instead of hair they had a variety of ridges on their heads, the males seemed to have larger more prominent ridges and the females seemed to use paints in a rainbow of colors to decorate theirs. The people all wore simple cloths tied about their waists with a sort of leather belt. Different pouches were attached to the belts for utilitarian purposes. They didn't have lips, that disturbed Lance for some reason, but other than that the people were soft spoken and did not seemed to be disturbed by visitors from space, though clearly, they did not possess that kind of technology themselves.

Lance and Hunk had sat near the fire talking with some of the younger women in the tribe, as they were told the group was called.

"It is good to speak with travelers." The younger one with purple painted ridges smiled at Hunk.

"Especially ones so good with seasoning." The slightly larger one with red and blue striped ridges laughed. Hunk had helped her adjust the seasoning on one of the dishes for the meal and she had been very impressed.

"Do you meet a lot of travelers?" Lance asked curious.

"Some, we have embraced our simple lives, though we know there is much technology in the universe and have heard stories. Traders come here for food and supplies. We listen. We learn." The purple one gave Lance a wink.

Lance laughed lightly and smiled back at her. She seemed sweet and young and it was nice to flirt again.

As they were settling down for the meal a large Ploxian entered the clearing. They stood nearly a half foot over the next largest of the Ploxians already present and had a large number of ridges, though they were also decorated in paints over much of their body. The cloth this one wore was a royal blue and had a variety of beads stitched into swirling patterns. The other Ploxians moved to the side when they entered and bowed slightly. Their nearly white eyes drifted over the new comers nodding. It was clear they knew about them. They had stopped upon seeing Shiro and frowned mightily.

"You have been to the other side." The voice boomed in the silent camp.

"I suppose." Shiro looked up surprised. "That is one way to look at my experience."

"Why have you returned?" The voice did not seem to hold judgement only curiosity.

"My mission is not over." Shiro met the eyes of the Ploxian evenly. 

"You should have been allowed to rest. It was wrong to make you continue." The Ploxian's frown was turned to Allura now.

"No one made me return. I wanted to. I needed to." Shiro assured feeling very obviously uncomfortable with this conversation.

The Ploxian leader nodded, "As you say." They raised their arms. "Welcome guests from the stars, welcome to our humble tribe, may we exchange knowledge and goods and when you leave here may you be better for your stay." They lowered their arms and the noise returned to the camp. The Ploxians began serving food and chatting and talking amongst themselves. The leader made their way over to Allura and Keith and sat next to them during the meal. 

The meal was wonderful, roast meats and vegetables, the stew Hunk had helped with and was loudly given credit for by the cooks, and a soft bread like fruit drizzled with something like caramel. The conversations were pleasant. Pidge, Romelle and Hunk had ended up sitting with a group of older women talking about what they knew about surrounding star systems. Allura, Keith, and Shiro were still with the leader discussing politics and alliances probably. Lance had wandered by and found Krolia talking with some older men, who were apparently the village warriors. He eventually found himself seated next to Coran near the edge of the camp. There was something still bothering him, and he finally decided it was more than the lack of lips.

"It feels off." He muttered.

"Yes, Number Three." Coran raised an eyebrow at him. "But why?"

"I don't know. The people I spoke with were nice, everyone is talking and getting along well, but I just have a bad feeling." Lance shook his head confused.

"Don't ignore those feelings. The red paladins have always been very instinctual. It might not even have anything to do with the Ploxians, it could be something else, but don't doubt yourself." Coran nodded seriously. 

Lance hummed and turned his eyes back to the fire, trying to decipher the nagging feeling of dread.

***

Shiro smiled over at Keith. He hadn't been this relaxed for…well a very long time. He was filled with good food, the night air made him feel refreshed and almost as young as he actually was. When they had returned to camp Shiro had mentioned sleeping under the stars. Keith had smiled and laughed at him a little, but after a brief discussion and no objections, Keith had brought his own blanket and pillow out to lay next to Shiro.

"Reminds me of camping in the desert." Keith breathed, eyelids heavy and sliding shut.

"Me too." Shiro whispered back, remembering the times he took Keith camping. The angry young man that was so distrustful that he wouldn't relax or take his eyes off Shiro. How far Keith had come, how much he had overcome to be the man next to him now. 

Shiro watched Coran walk out to the perimeter of the camp. They always set a watch. Coran waved and nodded. In the corner of his eyes he noticed Lance leaning against the Red lion. He had seemed particularly tense tonight. Shiro would have to check in with him, but in the morning. Right now, sleep called to him.

Shiro opened his eyes to black nothingness. He blinked and opened them again. Nothing. He couldn't see anything. He felt his heartrate climb as he reached out into the nothingness. Less than a foot or so out his hand encountered something smooth, solid. His breath hitched in fear. His hand traveled down the surface and around. He was in a space only about three feet in depth. He kicked his feet out and found the end of the space and reached above him for the other end and found it to be about seven foot long. He was in a box. A smooth box. There was something scattered around him and picking up the particles and squeezing he determined them to be flowers. He was in a box covered in flowers…like a coffin. He was…his breathing ratcheted up and his heart felt like it was going to pound right through his chest. He screamed as loud as he could. Someone needed to hear him, someone needed to get him out of here. Someone needed to come. He pounded his fist against the surface and kicked with all his might. His frantic mind wished for his Galra arm to cut his way free from this tomb. 

He didn't even realize he was crying until he felt the tears hitting his ear. He sobbed and begged. Mabye if someone was outside, they would let him free. He clawed at the surface, but there was no give to it. He felt the nails tear from his fingers and blood drip from his knuckles. The pain in his feet made him wonder if he had broken his toes. His body shook. He couldn't control his breathing or his panic. He was trapped in a nightmare. He couldn't escape. He pounded his head against the surface. He didn't know what to do. His frantic breathing brought stars in front of his eyes and he still to stare at them before his body shut down and he passed out.

***

Keith woke slowly, a bright light shining down into his eyes. He blinked and found the planets sun nearly overhead. How long had he slept? He pulled himself up, feeling stiff and confused. The fire was out. Lance was groaning near Red. Shiro was…not there. Keith staggered to his feet. The blanket and pillow were there, but no Shiro. He knew he had been a little overprotective since the entire almost rejecting the body thing, but he couldn't help it. He'd finally gotten Shiro back, the real Shiro and he was afraid to lose him. His breath hissed in between his teeth, had he lost him?

"Lance?!" He called over to the other paladin.

"Keith?" Lance's voice was heavy and somewhat slurred. "What? I feel like I went on a three-day bender." Lance promptly bent over and spilled the contents of his stomach onto the ground.

Keith blinked, he didn't feel that bad, but maybe whatever it was just wasn't affecting him as much. What was it? An illness? 

"Do you see Shiro?"

"What? No." Lance managed to get to his feet wiping his mouth and trying to look around, though it was hard to tell if he was focusing on anything the way his body swayed.

Keith began to walk around the camp, looking, maybe Shiro was sick and had crawled away to vomit. He stumbled as he moved but made his way to the edge of their camp. He didn't find Shiro, but Coran. The older Altean was lying on the ground. A gash on his head was bleeding slowly.

"Lance! Coran is hurt!" Keith managed to get the mustached man propped up and his groaning assured Keith he was alive.

Lance scrambled over to Keith, "The others are waking up. Something is very wrong."

Keith looked back to the camp. Allura and Romelle were climbing out of Blue, both shading their eyes against the sun. Pidge was practically crawling clutching her stomach and Hunk was vomiting by Yellow's feet. His mother staggered toward them, the wolf whimpering and walking slowly with her.

"We've been drugged." She spat angrily. It was not in her nature to be trusting and the fact that they had all been dosed somehow didn't sit well with her.

"Yeah. It's worse. Shiro is missing." Keith growled back.

She hissed as she kneeled next to Coran and looked at his wound, "He'll be okay. It's not deep and there isn't much swelling." She looked around and found a rock with blood on it. "I think he fell and hit his head. Maybe when the drug took effect?"

Lance was tapping Coran's cheek and the older man finally looked up at him.

"Number three?"

"Yeah, Coran, do you know what happened?" Lance frowned and swallowed back another wave of naseau. 

"There was a cloud of smoke, rolled over the camp as fast as I could breath. Soon as it hit me, I was out." Coran reached up and gingerly touched his head. "Is everyone okay?"

"Shiro is missing and everyone's been effected by whatever it was." Keith frowned.

"I am sorry, Number four, I was a poor watchman." Coran bowed his head concern for Shiro overwhelming.

"It's not your fault Coran, sounds like it happened so fast you couldn't even get a word out. There was nothing you or we could do at that point. We just need to figure out where Shiro is and get him back." Keith's voice strengthened as he spoke, shaking off the effects of the gas to focus on more important things. 

"I've got the scanner going, but I'm not picking him up. I'm not picking up his com anywhere on planet." Pidge stopped and swallowed before continuing. "I'm going to try to boost the signal."

"In the meantime, I believe we need to reach out to the Ploxians. Either they are responsible, or they may be able to assist." Allura declared. "Keith, can you come with me."

"I'll go too, Allura." Hunk offered.

"Good. In the meantime, Coran and Romelle, please assist Pidge. Lance and Krolia search the vicinity of the camp for any signs of Shiro." Allura nodded to each of them before turning to head to the tribe's camp. 

"Lance, I have an extra scanner, take it with you." Pidge handed him a device. "Maybe something is blocking the scan or weakening it." She offered.

"What would do that?" Lance asked still swaying slightly.

"Some sort of purposeful interference, or weird planet energy, or just too much rock." Pidge sighed there were too many things that could interfere with this signal.

"Oh, well I guess looking for what might be blocking it won't help." Lance sighed.

"No, it was a good thought, but no. Too many possibilities." 

"Ready?" Lance looked over to Krolia who was walking around the fire where Shiro had been.

"I don't think he walked away. Someone has disguised the tracks in this area, brushed them away. They knew how to hide their trail." She shook her head. "Keith be careful. I have a bad feeling."

Lance's head snapped up. His gut clenched in guilt. He should have followed up on his own feeling. 

"We will. Be safe and find him." Keith nodded to his mother, before turning to the others. "Pidge, please check to see if there are any ships in the system as well." 

Pidge gasped, she hadn't considered that someone could have snatched him off-world, but Keith was right they had to look everywhere. "On it."

"Keep in contact everyone." Keith ordered.

***

"Still nothing on the scanner." Lance reported after walking for nearly three varga circling the camp. Krolia was just as frustrated, unable to pick up a trail. Even the wolf seemed to be unable to find a trail, so his scent could be disguised as well.

"Well, he isn't here." Pidge snapped.

"Pidge,” Allura warned. "I know we are all frustrated, but we need to focus. We are still having no luck here. The leader is unavailable, and no one seems to know anything."

"Oh, they know something." Keith growled. "They just aren't talking. I can feel it."

"Hey guys,” Hunk near whispered on the com. "I just got a message, but she was like really afraid. Something about how not letting Shiro rest was wrong and we were defying nature? She was really freaked and ran pretty much after she told me that."

"You guys need to get out of there." Lance was worried. "I don't think we can trust them, and you've tried long enough."

"He's right, besides if I stay here any longer, I'm going to hit someone with my sword!" Keith snarled. The last part a little louder, no doubt so that those around him could here. The natives hissed and backed away from him.

"Alright, Allura, Keith, I have another scanner ready. You can take it out when you get back to camp." Pidge had already sent Romelle and Coran out with one. "I'm still certain he is on this planet. The signal is just being blocked somehow."

"Wait." Lance chirped. 

"What?" Pidge snapped back.

"I thought I saw a blip on my scanner and then it was gone. I'm backtracking…. yes. There it is." Lance ran in the direction the blip was showing. "It's really weak, Pidge."

The other began to head in his direction as Allura could be heard making their exit from the tribe's camp.

"It's here, I'm standing right here, where is he?" Lance looked around. The area was barren, sandy soil as far as he could see. Lance looked down shuffling his feet in the loose soil. His head was still pounding, but at least he hadn't vomited in a varga or so.

"Lance if the signal is there then at least the com has to be there, look around for it." Pidge seemed defeated on the com. If they had removed Shiro's communication device, she would have no way to track him.

Lance go on his hands and knees and brushed back the dirt. It seemed looser here, stupid rocks. Lance's brain stuttered to a stop. Rest, come back, rest, too many rocks.

"Oh no, no, no, no…," Lance practically begged. He began to dig at the ground.

"Lance?" Krolia knelt near him and he looked up at her desperation in his face. She seemed to read him though. "Green Paladin, would being buried weaken the signal?" The horror on her face belied the calmness in her tone.

"What? Yes. You don't think?" Pidge's heart plummeted. 

"We need shovels." Krolia answered as she joined Lance digging with her hands.

"Is he? Can we tell if he's alive?" Hunk's voice shook.

"No. I can't tell." Pidge nearly sobbed.

"He's alive." Keith spat. "We just need to get to him." 

***

Shiro blinked into the darkness. His body still shook from strain and fear. He took a deep breath holding the panic at bay. He could do this. He just needed to breath, just breath, the team was coming. He wasn't alone. They would find him. He just needed to focus on that. Patience yields focus. Just breath and wait, the team would come.

"Shiro?" A voice whispered in the darkness.

"Adam?" 

"Hey, slow down, you're breathing so fast." 

Tears streaked down his face as he felt phantom hands. One rested on his face the other took his hand and held it tight.

"How?"

"Let's not worry about that right now, okay. Just focus on my breathing. In, come on you can do it, good. Now hold it, and out." 

Shiro could feel the phantom breath on his face, he smelled mint and jasmine tea, he smelled Adam.

"Shiro, you with me?" 

"Yes," Shiro sobbed. "I'm so sorry for the way I left. I have missed you so much."

"I've missed you too, now watch that breathing. Breathe with me remember." The phantom hand was stroking his face and Adam was humming softly. 

"Can you hold me?" Shiro asked and felt phantom arms around him, a body pressed close, holding him tight.

"I've got you, baby." Adam whispered.

"Don't leave?"

"I will be right here with you. Your team is coming. I won't leave you until they get here." 

Shiro sighed and allowed his body to relax. 

***

Lance sobbed and begged while he dug, Krolia said nothing she was icy efficiency; by the time Coran and Romelle arrived they'd managed a two-foot by four-foot hole with their bare hands. The two Alteans conferred briefly before shifting into something with gray skin and large scoop shaped hands with claws at the ends. They took the next area and began digging rapidly, dirt flying back away from them in sheets.

When Keith, Allura, and Hunk arrived with shovels, Krolia's space and Lance's space were about three foot down and Coran and Romelle had made nearly four. Allura quickly shifted and joined the other Alteans. Hunk pulled Lance back. He was still crying silently and didn't hardly seem to realize anyone else was there. Hunk held his hands that were bleeding, most of the nails broken or missing, gouges cut into his skin from digging the rocky soil. 

Keith stared in shock at the hole being dug, trying to image his pseudo brother trapped down there in the darkness alone, or and Keith's whole body shook, or dead. 

"Keith?" Krolia paused to look at him. 

He drew in a deep breath and handed her a shovel, together they started digging. 

Lance picked up the scanner, "We are getting closer the signal is stronger."

Pidge arrived shortly in Green. "I thought we'd need transport."

Keith nodded, Hunk had joined him and Krolia taking the last shovel. Pidge hopped down with a first aid kit and sat down to treat and wrap Lance's hands. He hissed and frowned down at them when she started, absently apologizing for bleeding on the scanner. 

"I've found something." Romelle yelled. She was about eight feet down. 

"Shiro!" Keith yelled. 

They didn't hear a response, but they were encouraged to dig even faster with the goal in site. One side of the hole collapsed, and Keith screamed in frustration as they had to dig it out again wider. The target at the bottom was about seven feet long and five feet wide looking all too much like a coffin in a grave for comfort. Green helped pull the larger dirt piles back away from the hole to prevent a second collapse. Finally, after nearly a varga of digging they had the top uncovered enough to pry it open. 

Keith couldn't breathe when he saw Shiro lying there so still. His face was pale, there was blood running from near his hairline. His hands were bloody and distorted from swelling. He didn't move. For a brief dobash Keith thought he'd failed and that he was dead. Then he saw his chest rise slowly as he breathed.

"He's alive." He whispered climbing down into the box. Hunk was right beside him and together they lifted him from the box. They passed him up to Krolia and Coran who lifted him up to Allura and Romelle. They carried him into the Green lion while the others were helped out of the hole.

"Shiro?" Keith scrambled to his side as Green flew back to their camp. 

"Adam?" Shiro mumbled.

"It's Keith, you there?" Keith brushed his hair back from his face. His forehead was abraded and bloody, likely he had pounded it against the roof of the box.

"Keith?" Shiro blinked open his eyes before frowning and slamming them shut.

"The lights." Krolia spoke softly. She walked away and returned as the light inside Green dimmed considerably.

"Is that better?" Pidge asked back.

Shiro blinked his eyes open again, "Yes."

"Thanks Pidge." Keith sighed as Shiro looked back at him, seemingly aware of his surroundings.

"I knew you'd come for me." He looked around at the face gathered around him. "Knew you'd all come."

"Just rest, Shiro." Allura whispered, softly kissing his forehead. He closed his eyes and seemed to relax into sleep. Coran sat about assessing his injuries, which were not dramatic and cleaning and bandaging his hands, feet, and head. Lance had managed to work his way to Shiro's side opposite Keith.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I had a bad feeling, but I couldn't, I didn't know what it was about. Seems like I keep failing at this and you keep suffering." Lance wiped a tear from his cheek.

"You weren't the only one that felt like something was off - I did, Coran did, even Shiro did. This isn't your fault Lance." Keith patted his hand. "Knowing something's coming doesn't mean you can stop it, even if you do realize what it is."

"That almost made sense." Lance half laughed half cried at Keith's attempt.

"You're the one that figured it out though, and you're the one that found him." Keith reminded him gently taking his hand and lifting it slightly. "You're the one with matching bandaged hands from digging to try to get to him."

Lance nodded and met Keith's eyes, "Okay."

"He's going to be fine." Coran made sure to declare loudly enough for everyone to hear. 

***

Three quintents later, Shiro was riding in Red sitting beside Lance looking out into the stars. He had a hard time riding in Black, the interior was too dark, for now he needed light and warmth and Red did a fair job with both. 

Lance was sitting next to Shiro, Romelle had bandaged their hands earlier. Lance had joked and called them Band-Aid buddies and Shiro had laughed. Romelle had teleported back to Blue with Cosmo's help and now it was just the two of them. Red was pretty much just flying in formation and didn't require much direction at the moment. As matter of fact, she rather hated being over directed. 

"You okay?" Lance offered with a shy smile after Shiro had gone silent for several dobashes. 

"Yeah, I am." Shiro looked over at him and returned the same smile, "just don't expect to be sleeping without a night light for a long time to come."

Lance nodded, "It most have been hard, so soon after the astral plane."

"In some ways it was better and in some it was worse. It was so dark, and the astral plane is like the night sky full of stars and Black. But this time I knew you were coming, I knew the team was looking for me and would find me, I just needed to hold on and focus and wait. I even dreamt Adam was there with me to help keep me calm."

"Adam?" Lance asked softly.

"He was my fiancé, back before Kerboros. It, well it ended because I chose to leave." Shiro sighed.

"I'm sorry." Lance frowned.

"You do that a lot."

"What?"

"Apologize to me." Shiro bumped his shoulder into Lance's. "You do it to all of us really."

Lance hummed seeming to consider what Shiro said but shrugged, "I guess."

"I'm sorry." Shiro spoke after several dobashes.

"What for?" Lance looked shocked.

"For dragging you out into space, for the way the clone treated you, for not being able to give you a clear message from the astral plane, for not making sure you know what an awesome paladin and person I think you are." Shiro reached up and brushed the bangs out of Lance's eyes which had started to tear up.

"Shiro, you don't owe me an apology." Lance stuttered.

"Maybe not, but maybe you deserve one anyway." Shiro reached his arm around and gave his shoulders a squeeze. "Thank you for finding me."

**Author's Note:**

> Yep Adam’s a spirit and really there, but Shiro doesn’t know that yet
> 
> Open spots still available for request on my Tumblr - https://shastelly.tumblr.com/post/183256500361/okay-five-spaces-requested-from-my-daughter-who


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